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Who Won Summer? The 3,700 Military Children Who Attended Free Week at Camp Corral

Raleigh, N.C., Aug. 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Camp Corral, a leading nonprofit advocate for military families, wrapped up its 8th summer camp season, providing a free week of camp for more than 3,700 children. Adventures, new friendships and lots of smiles sum up a collective experience that was not only restorative for this special group of kids, but also everything summer should be: fun.

The supportive community campers found at Camp Corral this summer is an invaluable resource for them as they start heading back to school. With 89 percent of campers having parents who are wounded, ill, injured or fallen service members, these military children face a unique set of challenges and stressors at home. Attending a week of camp makes facing these challenges easier.

"When a military service member is deployed, the whole family serves, not just the individual." Camp Corral CEO Leigh Longino said. "And that's a lot of responsibility for a child to handle. That's why what we do at Camp Corral each summer is so important – we give thousands of kids the chance to just be kids."

Data collected over the past five years demonstrates that Camp Corral has a lasting impact on campers' self-confidence and resilience. For instance, 83 percent of parents report lasting changes in their children from attending Camp Corral, which they attribute to the camp's role in promoting confidence and supportive relationships.

Camp was packed with outdoor activities like kayaking, horseback riding, archery and rock climbing that imbued each week with an adventurous spirit. In addition to these activities, Camp Corral also implemented programs to help the kids build better coping skills, meaningful connections and increased independence.

About Camp CorralCamp Corral, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, nonprofit corporation, is a free, one-of-a-kind summer camp for children of wounded, injured, ill and fallen military service members. Since its founding in 2011 by Golden Corral, Camp Corral has grown to 24 camp sessions in 19 states and has served more than 21,000 children. Although any child ages 8 to 15 from a military family is eligible, registration priority is given to children of wounded, disabled or fallen military service members. For more information, visit www.campcorral.org.